


Quiet Realities

by Voltronmashups



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Gen, Rebellion, flexible
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-18 00:39:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12377400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Voltronmashups/pseuds/Voltronmashups
Summary: A better / Revamped version of "Thoughts Into a Reality". By the same author!!!!





	Quiet Realities

“Hunk, three O’clock!” Keith’s eyebrows creased with worry, firing at three galra fighter jets heading his way.

“On it!” Hunk yelled in return as he shot-down the jet about to broadside his lion.

The team was fighting Lotor in their first real battle since Shiro came back. Lotor had sent an ambush while Voltron had been taking a break. It had been only a week or so since they had fought in their last battle, due to retrieving Matt and Shiro.

It had been about a week and a half since they had found Shiro, fighting alongside Matt in a rebel ruled quadrant. The castle had received an anonymous distress signal from a strange planet at the time, and were headed that way when Pidge realized it was the rebel group that had saved her brother from the Galra Empire. They raced to the location with all boosters, full throttle, trying to get there as fast as they possibly could. Once they had landed they met with one of the rebel captains and were soon introduced to their friend, Matt. Pidge became a blubbering mess when she saw Matt, snot ran down her nose and the tears that fell from her chin were never ending. Lance and Hunk both started to tear up at the siblings reunion, however everyone stopped what they were doing when Shiro stepped out of a side room. Everyone rejoiced, and Keith cried in front of people for the first time in his life, even though he was a silent crier you could see his back jump every once in awhile, indicating he was trying to hide the hiccups. They soon found that the rebels were almost overwhelmed with their latest Galra attack, as a fall back they sent the signal. Shiro suggested it in hopes that it would possibly land in the hands of his team. It was extremely hard but after about a week of convincing, Matt was granted a leave from the rebels for some time to join the paladins.

The paladins were jerked awake by sirens blaring throughout the castle. Pidge and Hunk were the first to make it to their lions despite them both having a record of trying to stay asleep no matter the situation. Shiro threw on his armour and burst into Blacks hangar, Keith had insisted that he take Black back as soon as he got back. Moments later Lance, Keith, and Shiro all came over the coms saying the same thing.

“My lion is blocking me out!” They all called out, becoming frantic as attacks were already beginning to hit the particle barrier. Allura came over the coms and calmed everyone down. Keith was told to go over to Black’s hangar, and when he walked up to her barrier she dropped it immediately, bowing her head to let him in. Reluctantly he marched up her jaw into the cockpit, he really didn’t want lead but everyone was forcing him to. 

Lance suggested he try to go and see if Red would accept him, as he went up to his barrier he dropped it, as well as his heart. He may have loved to fly with him, having the rush of excitement every time he pushed him to full speed but he missed Blue’s calming reassurance in battle, and she had rejected him. Again. 

Allura solemnly rushed into Blue’s hangar. She had always wanted to be apart of Voltron and live up to her father’s legacy and flying Blue was a dream come true, but it just didn’t feel right for her to fly a lion when all their second generation paladins were in the castle. They had brought up the topic of the lions the night before at dinner, they all expected that since Shiro had come back, that everyone would get their respected lions back. They thought wrong. It was a simple idea that everyone had hoped to be true. Keith begged Shiro to fly in the cockpit with him so that he could technically still lead the team. He refused telling him that Keith would be able to lead them better in this battle, and in the end opted to stay behind in the castle with Matt and Coran as the rest flew out, greeting Lotor’s fleet. 

Taking down jets left and right the team worked together almost as good as they had with Shiro leading before.

“Alright guys… Let’s show these punks what Voltron's really made of.” Keith commanded through the speakers.

“Punks huh? Wow Keith you really need to up your vocabulary.” Lance jeered over the coms.

“Shut up Lance.”

“Alright, alright I’m comin’ don’t get your panties in a twist”

Everyone groaned at Lance’s comment as they abandoned their positions, joining Keith with haste; a familiar feeling ran through them. Voltron was formed and Keith quickly used his bayard to form the sword. They charged the main hull of the control center and dragged the blade down the entire side of the ship, successfully blowing up the fleet’s main port. With the main ship in pieces and the jets buzzing around them like bees trying to defend their nest, they split up and decided to take care of the rest of the fleet on their own. 

Pidge activated her lions invisibility and cloaked herself, flying around blasting jets here and there, weaving out of the way of the rest of the team, with little to no issues. Hunk barreled through a few jets who were flanking Allura.

“Thanks Hunk.” She sighed with relief. She was swamped with over fifty of the grey pyramid looking bugs. 

“I got your back.” He returned as he began to help her take out the jets. He attacked them head first, literally. He stopped and braced himself as he took four hits to the head. Using his tail laser, he shot down a group closing in on Allura. She was faring well in the battle, she always did but somehow it never looked it because the hardest tasks were thrown on her.

Weaving in between the little bugs left and right Lance whooped with joy as Red used her Laser cannon and blew up around twenty or so jets miles away. He urged her forward past Keith in a flash. 

“Hey! Don’t be so reckless with Red. You still can’t control him perfectly yet.” Keith reprimanded him.

“Pshh. Don’t worry Mr. GrumpyPants! Red and I are just havin’ a little fun! Ain’t that right boy!?” Lance patted the control panel in Red who hummed in response, “Don’t be such a party pooper.” Keith just huffed and rolled his eyes, continuing to take down the jets surrounding them. Lance sped away reeling back on the controls, pulling Red into a wide back flip evading multiple jets coming straight for him. 

Lance chuckled under his breath, all of the Galra jets reminded him of gray and purple dorito pyramids. Firing Red’s Magma blaster at the cluster of angry doritos. Most of the swarm was hit and taken out of commission, but a few stray flies got away. He flew Red closer to his targets and was able to pick of the last few. 

“Lance 5 O’Clock!” Pidge’s voice screeched through his helmet.

It was too late. One of the stronger ships had shot a missile at Lance, and had managed to hit Red directly where he was sitting. 

Electricity sparked all around Lance as he felt his bond with Red waver. His heart pounded in his ears, while memories of fighting Zarkon flooded his consciousness. The lifeless beast, simply floated, despondent mid battle, with Lance inside mid- anxiety attack. His breathing was everywhere and anywhere except normal. He was trying to not freak out but it was increasingly hard as there were still drones flying everywhere. 

He smashed buttons, yanked levers, or flipped any switch on the control panel to get Red to respond; he stayed quiet, their bond, non-existent, nothing worked. He even tried a breathing remedy he taught Hunk, to calm himself down in hopes of being able to ground himself and get Red back. However he was unsuccessful and was about to get hit again, but not before Allura came into view and obliterated the remaining few galra near him. Her voice crackled over the intercom.

“Lance are you alright!?”

“Not really. We got hit pretty bad and Red won’t respond.” Lance sighed turning off his microphone 

“Come on man! Stay with me. I know you are still there. Don’t leave me hanging like this. Please, we just need to get back to the Castle then I’ll give you a manicure! Please, Red! Please handsome, don’t ditch me like this!” Lance pleaded, attempting to revive Red.

“I’ve got you, Lance.” Hunk’s voice whispered into Lance’s helmet as Yellow’s claws clamped onto Red’s back. 

Shiro congratulated the team, “Alright everyone! Great job out there, let’s head back to the castle for some breakfast.” 

Back in Red’s hangar, Lance stayed in her cockpit and spoke to him.

“Red look I know this is not the situation either of us want to be in. I know you want Keith to be your pilot again, and I’m honored that you’re allowing me to take his place until Shiro gains his bond with Black back. But we need to work together; today was my fault and I’m sorry. I should have been more careful. I just need you to respond, you’re scaring me.” Lance sighed, taking off his helmet and setting it in his lap. Letting his head fall back onto the headrest he noticed he was shaking. He heard movement outside as he heard a soft voice coming from his helmet in his lap. 

“Lance? You still in Red? We are going to breakfast, you comin’?” It was Hunk. He took a deep breath and switched his microphone back on and spoke.

“I’ll be there in a little bit bro. I’m still a bit shaken up after the battle, save me a bowl will ya?!” He tried to sound as happy and calm as he could, adding a chuckle at the end. He didn’t hear what Hunk had to say next. His hands still shaking he continued his breathing rhythm, remembering his words to Hunk. “In four, hold seven, release eight. In four, hold seven, release eight.” HIs voice echoed in his mind. He stayed like this for a considerable time until he felt the least bit better. He spoke up once more. 

“I’m sorry. I miss Blue, you miss Keith, Keith is still hates being leader and I’ve just been really stressed lately.” He paused for a moment, “Do you remember that time right after we formed Voltron for the first time and that guy, Sendak, blew up the castle’s crystal? The time I jumped in front of Coran so save him. I just realized, I didn’t have a helmet on when the explosion happened. Now that I think about it, that’s probably why I don’t remember what happened aside from what everyone told me.” He spoke softly, as if talking to a sleeping child.  
In that moment he felt a familiar warmness envelope him slowly. He had tears in his eyes but he grinned as he felt their connection rekindle. 

“Well it’s good to hear you again handsome. Have I ever told you that Red suits you?” Red purred in excitement. Lance wiped his eyes before unstrapping himself from his chair and slowly exiting his jaw. Not only was he still slightly shaking from the anxiety attack, he found that his chest hurt and his back ached. He took slow deep breaths, trying to stretch out his lungs.   
After a moment he shook his head, replacing his pain with a smile he walked into the dining room, finding that everyone was already seated and devouring their breakfast. Lance entered the room and noticed everyone was already in their casual clothing aside from him. Both Matt and Hunk heard him and looked up to greet him.

“Are you alright? You’ve been in Red for a while.” Matt asked. 

“Yeah, I’m fine! I just stayed with her to get in a little extra bonding time.” Lance reassured Matt, stopping and pulling his fists to his chest in a silly way.

“Alright well I saved you a bowl just like you asked. It’s a bit cold but it’s just Food Goo today. I didn’t really feel like cooking.” Hunk explained as he grabbed Lance’s bowl while the boy sat down.

Coran, Pidge, and Keith glanced up to acknowledge him when they heard him speak, but only for a moment as they quickly retreated to their respected conversations. Allura and Shiro were deep in a conversation about Lotor and his devious plans to even notice anyone else was in the room. Lance thanked Hunk for the food as he handed him his bowl; ending up just staring at it for a while. His seat was right next to Matt and Hunk, good thing too because they both noticed he wasn’t eating. Hunk took the liberty and shook Lance from his trance and pointed towards his food. 

He practically inhaled the green goop before him and asked to be excused. Before anyone could even answer he briskly walked away. He made his way through the castle’s maze of hallways towards his room. There, he changed from his armour and into his normal clothing. Now comfortable, he grabbed his helmet and summoned his bayard. He set the bayard next to him and sat on the edge of the bed with his helmet in his hands. 

Horrible thoughts began to fill his head. He couldn’t stop them, ‘Am I just the 7th wheel?’ Well now it would be 8th wheel if you count Matt.’ Homesickness crushed him, hard, and his anxiety and depression joined their buddy real quick. Tears began to fall and he had no idea why, he thought all of these things on a daily basis. A dark voice in the depths of his mind broke out.  
‘You really think they need you? You’re just the replacement until the next guy comes in to take their rightful place. Allura is progressing faster than any of you, Keith is better than you at basically everything. All you can do is aim. Sure you are able to give the group backup and ease the stress for them during battle but they could deal without you.” Now that he thought about it all he did during this battle was mess around, barely helping out with the actual mission. He just hung back and picked off a few stragglers, and when he tried to act like a hotshot, he got injured. His bond with Red faded, and that was a problem. 

“Are you even cut out to be a Paladin of Voltron? Blue shut you out and had you pilot Red, and if you think about it, all you ever do is get hurt and annoy your team. Sure you accomplish somethings that are helpful every once in awhile but they are always buried under everyone else’s accomplishments. For example, Hunk and his ability to create anything at anytime or place, with anything, Pidge with deciphering important information and coding things in an instant, Keith and being an amazing pilot and fighter, then Shiro and being an outstanding leader and strategist. What are you good for? Yeah, Blue always told you that you were special, and that she chose you for a reason, and that you were a vital part of voltron, but guess who shut you out. Now Red tells you that he chose you for a reason too but, doesn’t that sound just like Keith’s words when you went to him that night? Lack-lustered and forced.” The voice bombarded his mind, killing any hope left.

”Why not just have Allura or Matt fly Red in your place? They are both more valuable and needed than you are anyway” The voice put in his last two-cents on the subject. 

“No. Screw this BS.” Lance stood, snapping out of his dark trance. He promised Hunk he would never let that voice lead him down that road again. Lance got up and wiped his face off. Slowly making his way down to the observatory, he took some deep breaths. Upon his arrival he discovered that everyone was in there huddled around a hologram in the center of the room. Planning, strategizing, actually being a team and creating a game plan to defeat Lotor. He walked in as Keith was saying something, no one seemed to noticed Lance enter. He listened to Keith and the others, catching up with the plan after a while. He noticed however one, small, but extremely crucial mistake. It would leave voltron open to a sneak attack, only a few ticks, but it was a huge detriment as Lotor was their newest threat. He was extremely cunning, even more so than Haggar and his father combined, and seemed to have many tricks his sleeve. 

“Hey, guys? There’s a hole in the defence. We could get ambushed there and it would screw everything up.” He spoke as he stepped forward next to everyone, causing their heads whipped around so fast he could actually hear a crack in Pidge’s neck. They were all shocked to hear his voice, their expressions softening, realizing it was Lance. Keith, Shiro, and Allura immediately turned and started to look for the opening Lance spoke of. Meanwhile Coran popped up next to him and put an arm around the boy’s shoulders, giving him a delighted smile. 

“There is no flaw there Lance.” Keith turned to Lance with his brows furrowed in confusion. He looked at Keith in bewilderment, he got up to the hologram of the plan, and began to zoom in, to show everyone the opening in the defence. Shiro, Allura, and Keith all couldn’t see how that small opening would be a problem. The castle was there to protect the paladins at that time. They would have backup just in case of an emergency. Shiro joined Keiths side and turned to Lance. 

“Lance, I can see how you would be worried about that, but we’ve already discussed that opening. It won’t be a problem. Hunk is covering that area and Coran, Matt, and I will be here giving him backup.” Shiro reasoned, a fatherly tone in his voice. Lance lost the light in his eyes and nodded as he turned and walked back to Coran. He took him to the back of the room where Matt, Pidge, and Hunk followed in suite. 

“I’m not insane, everyone saw it too! So how do they not understand?” Lance asked them. Pidge shrugged, and Hunk opened his mouth to reply but Lance spoke too fast, “They don’t understand the opportunity from a sniper’s perspective. The area is hidden just enough for someone to hideout there and ambush us.” He started to stomp off when Coran grabbed his arm and yanked him back in front of him. Holding him by the shoulders Coran looked Lance in the eye’s.

“My boy, you are completely correct about the opening and how much trouble it can cause, why don’t we suggest that you cover the area instead of Hunk so that you can take out someone if they are there. Just in case?.” He stated firmly. 

“Yeah! That’s ingenious! You know all the spots where a sniper could be sitting so why not have you be closer to the main mission and have Hunk stay behind and take off stragglers. No offense Hunk” Matt agreed 

“None taken. I was thinking the same thing.” Hunk raised his hands in reassurance.

Lance nodded as he strutted back over to the group. He walked back to Shiro and Keith and made sure they weren’t drawing anything on the hologram before he zoomed in on the area. 

“You guys aren’t understanding how I’m able to look at this hole.” Lance spoke before any of them had the chance to cut him off, “As the sniper of the team I’m able to see places where another fellow sniper could easily hang out and screw up the plan. Right here happens to be the perfect place for a galra to hide out.” Lance glared at Keith. He squared his shoulders and started to point out other places where someone could hide. After he finished Keith piped up.

“Lance, fine. I see what you mean, but what do you want us to do?” Keith smugly jeered at him.

“Switch my position with Hunk’s. He can give everyone extra cover while I scope out all of the possible sniping areas.” 

“That’s actually a smart idea.” Shiro stepped in. 

“The only problem is that we need Red covering everyone else. Red took a beating today and we need him to recover before we put him back in. This mission is just to gain intel, so not so much need for attacking the base. I mean if you really wanted you, Red, Allura, and Blue could all sit out this mission.” Shiro thought out loud, “Yeah, I actually like the sound of that better! Not to be rude but this can be a trio mission this time what do you guys think?” 

“I mean I’m chill with it.” Pidge shrugged her shoulders.

“Yeah, I’m for it.” Hunk followed in Pidges footsteps. 

“I guess that means I’m in it too. I’m fine with it. I could go in with Pidge to give her cover, while Hunk gives us backup.” Keith agreed

“That changes the entire plan…. But it’s even better now! Thank you Lance!” Allura cheered with joy. 

“Lance-” Shiro started, stepping forward. 

“I’m a bit tired and it seems everyone has everything under control, so I’m going to lie down for a little while.” Lance told them as he turned and stomped out of the observatory. Coran, Matt, Hunk, and even Pidge jumped in his path attempting to stop him.

“Not now you guys. I have a huge headache.” He roughly pushed past them as he made his way back to his room. His head was once again filled with the dark voice’s words. 

“They don’t even need you this time see? They heard your plan then just made a new one and cut you out immediately.” It spoke.

‘No they just don’t need me for this particular mission. I can see how too. I would just get in the way. It is a stealth mission and I’m not exactly the best at being the cool Ninja sharpshooter I said I was.’ Lance yelled back.

“Oh now come on Lance. Do you really think that? Are you really not going to see what they really are doing. They are slowly pushing you away. All you’ve done is get in the way! Why even bother! They complain about your comments, jokes, and ideas already.” It screamed over his thoughts.

Now finding himself already at his bedroom door he came to accept the horrible truth that he had been fearing since Blue had rejected him, the first time. He grabbed a bag from under his bed and threw it on his sheets. Neatly he laid out his suit on the bed, next to it he sat with his heads in his hands. The team didn’t seem to need him, and the voice was right, there was only one option left. He knew what he had to do. 

He was going to leave Voltron.


End file.
